Twenty-Sixth+Caluri+6

**//__The 26th Amendment__//**
"The right of the citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by anystate on account of age. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

[[image:http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en-commons/thumb/7/76/190px-26th_Amendment_Pg1of1_AC.jpg width="101" height="127" align="left"]]
The way we state the amendment in our own words is Any citizen that is 18 years or older are allowed to vote without and disturbantaces in the United States. The Congress can enforce this by any means.

Amendment 26 was created because it was during the Vietnam War and there was 18 year old men were being drafted into the war and they protested. The male draftees were able to fight and put there lives on the line but not be able to vote?? Presiddent Nixon also thought this was unfair and decided to make it a law.
 * Why the Amendment was created?**

= = This amendment was ratified by 38 states out of 50 (3/4 of states) on July 1, 1971. It became part of the Consitution 4 days later on July 5,1971. It was submitted by the Congress on March 23,1971. By November of that year 4 more states approved of this amendment.
 * When was the Amendment ratified?**

The citizens of America will be able to vote who they want as their leaders. People 18 years old or older should have this right because they are drafted into wars for us. Since they help us the government should give also give them rights to vote.
 * How does this Amendment change America?**

Yes, this amendment is still valid now.
 * [[image:http://thmg.photobucket.com/albums/v235/SmileyMags/USA/Vote/th_4938922.gif align="left" caption="Ballot Box"]]Is the amendment still valid now?**

The issues that this amendment applies to now is that it gives the candiates a harder chance because the canidates have to confront problems that not only face older people it has to face younger people also.
 * What issues does it apply to now?**

[|Danielle's Current Event] [|Kuki's Current Event]
 * Current Events**

Summary-//** This current event is about an opinion made by a man named Ben Schwarzwalder. He explains his feelings of how it is un-American to not vote. He also thinks it is ridiculous to not vote because he always hears people complaining about the elected officials and the government. He says he wonders how many of the people complaining actually votes. Because of not voting the people who did not vote should not complain who is in office because they didn’t take time to vote themselves.
 * Opinions and Summaries on the Current Events**
 * //__Kuki's Current Event__

//**Opinion-**// I agree with Ben Schwarzwalder because if you didn’t vote I don’t think you should complain. If you didn’t want this official then you should have voted for the other official yourself. Just because you think other people will vote for the official you wanted is not an excuse. Like Ben had said people should vote or you will regret on what will happen to your government. You may not have someone that you voted for but at least you voted.

//**Issues-**// The issue in this article is that no one votes as much as they did in 2004. According to the U.S Census Bureau there is a 11.5 percent difference from ballot box 2004 and 2007. If people start voting again there could be discussion about why they want to vote for this person. In the discussions others could realize that the opposite official would be better in the government.

__//**Danielle's Current Event**//__
 * //Summary-//** This current event is based upon the actual identification records on people. This lady Valerie Williams used the same idenification she had been using ballot box for the past several years the election officals told her she could not use them any longer, because the ballot need an issued idenification picture. This poor women that has trouble walking and is 61 years old could not get a ride in the next 10 days to prove that she was in fact Valerie Williams of Indiana, and her vote was deducted from the ballot. This case has to be brought up infront of the Supreme Court in 2008 just before the election for the canidates.


 * //Opinion-//** My opinion on this issue is that if this women is claiming that those are those real identification and she has been using it for years why don't they just let them. Valarie Williams has been using that identification for years and she knows everyone there. She can not driver nor hardly walk and you except her to get to there on time. That would be extremely hard on this women to find someone to defend her on such a notice of ten days.This is unfair and she should not have had her vote deducted and she shouldn't have to stand infront of the Supreme Court.


 * //Issues-//** The issues in this story compared to the issues that prompted the creation of the amendment because you need proper identification to show that you are the person you say you are and the age. **Age** plays a big part in this amendment because if you are under the age of 18 you are not eligible to vote. Also **identification** plays a big part. Identification is a very big part because if you say you are somebody else and have the proper identification they election officals will believe you..That is how the issues in this story compared to the issues that prompted the creation of this amendment.



Summary-//** In 1971, after young people complained they were considered old enough to fight in vietnam but not old enough to elect the leaders. The 26 amendment, which extended the right to vote to 18 year olds, experienced the fastest ratification in history. But later on, young people don't see participation in the electoral process. As a solution to their problems. So Youth-led debates and media events trying to help educate Youths that involvement in the political process extends beyond the voting booth and into community involvement and activism.
 * //__Joong's Current Event__


 * //Opinion-//** I think it's a good thing to this events because they need to get some participation or maybe this amendement could be useless. Also, maybe they will never vote. Another reason is that they have a respinsibility to do this because they made this amendement. Overall, I think this is why I agree with this Current Event.


 * //Issues-//** The issues in this story is that if people can fight in the war, then they have responsibility to vote too. But now, most of them do not do that. So the issues in this article is age. They made this amendment because of age and they can vote because of age.

[|Passage of the 26 Amendment]
 * __//Videos On this Amendment-//__**